• 2h 18m
• Premiere 2008

One hundred thousand

Kyiv Academic Drama Theater on Podil

Ivan Karpenko-Karyi’s play One Hundred Thousand is a classic of Ukrainian drama. It portrays life in a post-reform Ukrainian village in the 1880s–1890s. The production premiered on the stage of the Theatre on Podil back in 2008 and over the years has become a cult favourite of the theatre. Herasym Kalytka is the central character of this comedy — a wealthy villager with a generous hand. The foundation of his wealth is land. For a Ukrainian, land is a kind of religion, an embodiment of the order of the universe and a way to leave a trace behind; it brings the joy of existence and self-affirmation, makes one live, have children, and dream. Yet any unrestrained desire has its dark side. Centuries pass, but the soul of the people keeps the same impulses and the same flaws, which is why this classic of Ukrainian literature feels so close and alive. Herasym Kalytka is played by Bohdan Benyuk, People’s Artist of Ukraine and laureate of the Taras Shevchenko National Prize.